A new joint study between the Development Policy Centre and the World Bank, The Gains and Pains of Working Away from Home, was released based on a large survey of those directly affected by labour mobility: Pacific migrant workers, their households and their communities.
The Pacific Labour Mobility Survey is the first major collection of data since the introduction of the Pacific Labour Scheme in Australia. Conducted between November 2021 and March 2023, the survey includes more than 2,000 workers in the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme and the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme plus more than 4,200 households (with about 25,600 household members in total) in Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Findings from the survey challenge some popular misconceptions and demonstrate that these programs are seen as overwhelmingly positive by participants and their families.
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